Gate



June 15, E937. A. A. McREYNoLDs GATE Filed May 22, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 @ww/whom Patented .lune 15, 1937 UNl-TED ATENE` CFE@ 3 Claims.

10 position and to also provide actuating means for the gates including tracks along which wheels of the vehicle pass as the vehicle approaches the gate from either direction and causes the tracks to be depressed and the gates moved to an open 15 position.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved means for mounting the tracks and causing the tracks to be raised to an elevated position by the weight of the gates as the gates move 20 to a closed position, thus causing the gates themselves to serve as means for normally retaining the tracks in an elevated position.

Another object of the invention is to provide improved bumper means upon which the gates rest when in a lowered position, the bumper means serving to absorb shocks and prevent damage when the gates move to a closed position.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the improved gate that it will be of simpli- 30 fied construction, very easy to operate and not liable to break or get out of order.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure l is a view showing the improved gate 35 in elevation with the companion gates or closures in the lowered closed position.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure l showing the closures swung upwardly to an open position. Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the'line 40 3--3 of Figure l.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view, taken along the line l-l of Figure 3.

This improved gate is primarily intended for use across a driveway leading from a highway, such as a road or street, but it is to be understood that it may be erected wherever it is desired to provide a gate which may be opened without it being necessary for the driver of an automobile to leave the drivers seat and open the gate. The gate extends across the highway i and has companion gates or closures 2 carried by posts 3 which are embeded in the ground at opposite sides of the driveway. Each of the posts is slotted longitudinally from its upper end and may consist of 55 a pair of posts embedded in the ground in spaced relation to each other, or formed as a single post having a solid lower portion embedded in the ground and for the major portion of its length formed with a slot leading from its upper end.

60 The companion gates or closures 2 extend towards each other across the driveway and each has an elongated upper bar fi, a shorter lower bar 5 and at least one intermediate bar which corresponds in length to the lower bar. At the free ends of the gates orclosures, the bars d, 5 and S are pivotally mounted between vertically disposed end bars or strips 'i by bolts 8, and bolts 9 are employed to pivotally mount the bars ll, 5, and 6 in the slotted posts 3. It should be noted that the posts 3 diverge upwardly, as clearly shown in Figures 1 and 2, so that strain exerted upon them when the closures are swung to the open position will not cause their embedded lower end portions to work loose.

The companion rgates or closures 2 are to be swung upwardly to an open position and retained in this position during passage of an automobile through the gate. In order to do so, there has been provided tracks it which extend longitudinally o1 the driveway between the posts 3. These tracks may be formed of metal or wood and along its inner side edge, each is provided with an upstanding flange Il serving to prevent the wheels oi an automobile from slipping transversely off of the tracks. It will be obvious that flanges may extend along both side edge portions of the tracks if so desired. Outer ends of the tracks are supported upon bolsters i2 which are embedded in the driveway in spaced relation` to the gates or closures, and upon referring to Figure 4 it will be seen that each bolster extends flush with the surface of the driveway for a portion of its width and has its outer side portion extended upwardly to form a shoulder i3 constituting an abutment which limits depression of the tracks by outer ends of the tracks striking the shoulder. Recesses or seats h1 are formed in the upwardly extended portions of the bolsters to receive the outer ends of the tracks and each of the recesses has its bottom formed with a pocket i5 in which is loosely mounted a roller I6 upon which the outer ends of the tracks rest. By this arrangement, the tracks may easily slide in the recesses or seats I4. A strip Il, which is triangular in cross section, may be secured along the upwardly projecting portion of the outer side face of each bolster if so desired to permit the wheels of an automobile to easily move across a bolster and onto the tracks when approaching the gate.

Inner end portions of the tracks E@ extend over a beam I8 which is of such length that it extends entirely across'the driveway and has reduced end portions i9 loosely engaged through the slotted posts 3. Outer ends of the reduced portions IS are connected with the outwardly projecting outer end portions oi the upper bars 4 by links or metal strips 2li disposed vertically and pivotally connected with the beam and the upper bars of the gate by bolts or equivaient fasteners 2l. The links or strips 20 exert pull upon the upper bars of the closures when the beam is depressed and the closures will be swung upwardly to the open position shown in Figure 2. Reinforcing strips 22, which are formed of metal, extend longitudinally of the upper and lower bars 4 and with their inner ends secured to the bars by fasteners 23 which pass through the bars and their outer ends perforated to receive the bolts 9. These strips greatly strengthen the closures and prevent the bars from being cracked or broken by strains to which they are subjected when the closures are raised or by jolts received when the closures swing downwardly to a closed position. Hinged strips 24 are secured against side edge faces of the inner end portions of the tracks and have projecting ends which are overlapped and formed with alined openings through which extend the lateral extensions 25 of the bolts 26. By this arrangement, the inner ends of the tracks will be pivotally mounted in overlapped relation to the beam l5 and attention is called to the fact that portions of the beam under the inner ends of the tracks have been recessed, as shown at 2l, to provide clearance and allow the tracks to easily move vertically. Bumpers 28 formed from strips of resilient metal are secured upon the upper face of the beam adjacent reduced end portions thereof and these bumpers extend longitudinally of the beam and are bowed longitudinally to provide each bumper with upwardly extending arms 29 upon which the lower bars of the gates or closures rest when the gates are in the lowered position.

When this gate is in use, it is erected at the intersection of a driveway with a street or road with the companion gates or closures extending longitudinally of a fence between interrupted sections thereof. The tracks extend longitudinally of the driveway in opposite directions and their outer ends rest upon the bolsters which are embedded in the driveway and extend across the same in spaced relation to the gates. When an automobile or other vehicle approaches the gate, the wheels will pass over the bolster at the approach side of the gate and move onto the tracks. The weight or the vehicle depresses the tracks and as the tracks are pivotally' connected with the cross beam I8 in overlapping relation thereto, the cross beam will also be moved downwardly and pull will be exerted upon the links or strips 20 to swing the upper bars 4 of the gates or closures about the upper bolts 9 and the gates or closures will be swung upwardly to the open position shown in Figure 2. The gates will be held open as long as the front or rear wheels of the vehicle are resting upon the tracks and, therefore, the two gates will be held in the open position until the vehicle has entirely passed through the gate. As soon as the rear wheels of the vehicle move oir of the tracks leading from the two gates and the cross beam, the weight of the gate will cause them to swing downwardly and exert pull upon the links 20 which will draw the cross beam I8 upwardly and restore the tracks to the original position shown in Figures 1 and 4. As the two gates or closures move to the closed position shown in Figure l, the lower bars 5 will make contact with the upwardly extending arms 29 of the bumpers 28 and the bumpers will absorb shocks caused by the weight of the falling gates and prevent the gates from being broken. It will thus be seen that the companion gates may be opened by a vehicle approaching from either direction and will be maintained in the raised or open position until the vehicle has entirely passed through the gate. VThe gates may be opened either by an automobile or a horse drawn Vehicle as the wheels of either type of vehicle will rest upon the tracks and a horse or horses drawing a vehicle may easily step over the cross beam I8 between the tracks.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A gate comprising pairs of posts adapted to be mounted at opposite sides of a roadway, closures carried by the pairs of posts for extending towards each other across a roadway and each having vertically spaced horizontal bars pivoted between a companion pair of posts and a vertically extending bar pivoted to inner ends of the horizontal bars, one horizontal bar of each closure having an extension projecting outwardly from the companion pair of posts, a cross beam under the closures having its end portions engaged between the posts of each pair projecting outwardly beyond the posts, vertical links connecting end portions of the cross beam with the extensions of the closures, and gangways pivoted to the cross beam in overlying relation thereto between the posts and extending from opposite sides of the cross beam.

2. A gate comprising posts, gates having horizontal bars pivoted to said posts, each gate having an extension projecting outwardly from the companion post, links pivoted to and depending from said extensions, a cross beam extending between the posts under the gates with its end portions slidably engaged with and projecting beyond the posts and pivoted to lower ends of said links whereby when the gates are closed the cross beam will be suspended in an elevated position, bumpers carred by the cross beam and each consisting of a resilient strip having its intermediate portion secured upon the cross beam and its end portions bent to form arms extending upwardly from the cross beam for engagement by the gates as the gates swing downwardly to a closed position, and gangways pivoted to the cross beam between the posts and extending at a downward incline from opposite sides of the cross beam.

3. A gate comprising posts, companion gates extending towards each other from the posts and pivoted to the posts for vertical swinging movement from a lowered closed position to a raised position, arms for the gates projecting outwardly from the posts, links pivoted to and depending from said arms, a cross beam under the gates having portions slidably engaged with the gate and projecting beyond the posts and pivoted to lower ends of said links whereby the cross beam will be suspending in an elevated position when the gates are lowered, sills adapted to be embedded across a roadway in spaced relation to the gates and the cross beam, said sills having recesses cut from their upper faces and forming seats spaced from upper ends thereof, rollers in said seats, and gangways having inner ends pivotally connected with said cross beam in overlapping relation thereto, said gangways extending at a downward incline from opposite sides of the cross beam with their outer end portions slidably engaged in the seats of said sills and resting upon said rollers.

ALEXANDER A. MCREY N OLDS. 

